


Against The Clock

by BrokenBookAddict



Category: The Flash (TV 2014)
Genre: Anger, Caitlin x Harry, Caring, Day One, Developing Relationship, Dorks in Love, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Emotions, Eventual Romance, F/M, Falling In Love, Fluff and Angst, Fluff and Hurt/Comfort, Hurt/Comfort, Love, Minor Injuries, Prompt- You think you can help me figure it out, Romance, Romantic Fluff, Slow Romance, SnowHarry, Snowells, Snowellsweek2019, Tumblr: snowellsweek
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-17
Updated: 2019-06-17
Packaged: 2020-05-13 11:50:47
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,336
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19250626
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BrokenBookAddict/pseuds/BrokenBookAddict
Summary: Daunting tasks lie ahead. A solution for Killer Frost needs to be found, Harry's mind needs to be healed and DeVoe needs to be defeated. It feels like they're up against it with little time on their side.





	Against The Clock

**Author's Note:**

> I do not own the flash, i do own any errors. 
> 
> Here begins this year's Snowells week. 
> 
> This fic fills- day one- prompt- You think you can help me figure it out.

Staring at the screen in front of her, defeat and despair are the two emotions rushing and raging within her. Yet again another set of tests have proved useless, both in explanation and in a solution. It feels like the hours have tediously dragged into days and she's no closer to an answer now than she was at the very beginning. There has to be something, something to explain how to fix this but there isn't or at least not one that has been found yet.  
  
She stares at the screen for a moment longer before closing the tab almost angrily. She can't look at the proof of the tests failure any longer. She doesn't want that, failure, she wants success. Needs it even, almost desperately.  
  
Pushing herself up out of her chair, she paces in the room under the dim lights, back and forth she goes as she awaits the results of another set of tests she has running. She needs  _something, anything._  
  
It could almost be seen as karma, fate dealing her this vicious blow. For so long all she had wanted was to not have these powers, to not have Killer Frost within her and the inability to control her when she took over that came with it. She didnt want any of it. Now, after all the time that has passed and with everything that has happened, Killer Frost is gone and a part of her feels empty, like something is missing. After discovering peace and acceptance with this part of herself, this happens. Maybe this is payback for all the time she wished her away.  
  
But she refuses to believe that she is actually gone because she needs her back, she has to find a way to bring her back. She needs one of these tests to tell her the answer of how she can heal the feeling of emptiness inside of herself.  
  
So when the computer finally beeps after fifteen minutes of pacing, Caitlin stops and turns to the monitor with a barely suppressed feeling of hope. This could be it.

Taking a breath, she clicks on the results and looks...  
  
She stares at the screen, taking in what it says and she can feel the frustration building within her at yet another set of failed results. She closes her eyes and almost wishes that when she opens them, the screen will show her something different, show her the answers she wants.  
  
Except it doesn't.   
  
Her hand finds her empty mug that rests beside her keyboard and without thought she turns and launches it across the room in her anger. Her eyes widen when it crashes into the wall beside the door, barely missing the person standing in the doorway. She rushes to offer her apologies. Mortified that she could have hit him.   
  
"Harry, I'm so sorry. I didn't see you there."  
  
"Obviously," he mutters looking down at the shattered mug on the floor. He bends down to pick up the large shards, resting them in his palm.  
  
"Don't do that, you'll cut yourself." She moves to the cabinet across the room to grab a small dustpan and brush. When she reaches his side, she kneels down and sweeps what seem to be hundreds of tiny shards into the dustpan. When she's finished she holds it out so he can place the larger pieces into it except when he does, he does exactly what she had warned him about.  
  
A sharp jagged piece slices his palm as it slides into the dustpan.  
  
"Oh," she murmurs softly looking at his hand before standing. "Let me get rid of this and I'll check it over."  
  
Harry grunts as he stands, holding the hand that blood is rather steadily flowing from. You'd swear he'd cut an artery. "It's not that bad, Snow."  
  
As she dumps the shattered mug into the trash, she looks over her shoulder doubtfully, seeing the blood on his hand. "I'll be the judge of that, besides it'll make me feel better considering it's my fault you're hurt."  
  
Harry sighs knowing arguing is futile and moves towards the med bed, taking a seat on the end as Caitlin washes her hands. He sits there quietly watching her move fluidly around the room. He feels so tired all of a sudden.   
  
After drying her hand, she moves to a table against the wall. Reaching for a pair of latex gloves she slips them on before moving to the bed, snagging the medical trolley on the way. Once she reaches his side, she winces at the blood and almost immediately guilt settles in her stomach. She looks up at him to find Harry staring rather intently back at her. "May I?" She asks, motioning to his injured hand.  
  
He nods, holding out his hand for her to take.  
  
Silence descends between them as Caitlin embraces her inner doctor. She presses a piece of thick dressing to the wound, applying pressure as she lifts his hand into the air.

It's bleeding more than she thought so a few minutes like this will slow the flow. After an acceptable time has passed, she lowers his hand pleased to see the blood has indeed slowed and discards the soaked dressing. Now she inspects the wound, looking for any glass within and finds none. Good. She cleans away the blood and the wound, applying antiseptic as a precaution to any infection before reaching for a clean dressing pad. Gently she rests it over the wound before wrapping it up securely. She makes sure the dressings are waterproof, so he'll be okay to shower.   
  
Snapping off her gloves she drops them onto the trolley before picking up his hand again. She inspects the dressing to make sure it's secure. Guilt floods through her, he's hurt because her anger and frustration had caused her to snap. A temper tantrum. She looks up and meets his eyes, eyes that once more she finds focused upon her.   
  
"I'm sorry."  
  
Harry shakes his head. "Stop apologising."  
  
"Still..." She bites her lower lip.  
  
Neither pay any mind to the fact she's still cradling his injured hand.  
  
"You didn't know I was there and I picked up the mug. It's not your fault."  
  
Despite his words of reassurance, it still feels like it is.  
  
Silence falls between them for a moment before he breaks it.  
  
"What happened?"  
  
She doesn't need him to clarify exactly what he asking for her to know what he's referring to. "I ran some tests and they were inconclusive. Obviously not the results I wanted."  
  
"For Frost?"  
  
"Yes."  
  
"I see," he says quietly before falling silent, though his eyes never leave her. Eventually he says more. "You have a brilliant mind and whatever-- answers you're searching for, I have no doubt that you'll find them."  
  
She stares back at him a little bit stunned. Here he is again, throwing her off kilter with his words. First it was  _you're special,_  then it was  _you got it_  and now this. It's not only his words but the look in his eyes. It's the same look as when he sat across from her in Jitters, both before Amunet kidnapped her and then again when that young girl spilled her coffee over them. The combination makes her heart thud painfully in her chest, her mind whirling with wondering and hope. Instead of questioning him like she desires deep down to do, she smiles shyly at him.  
  
"Thank you, Harry."  
  
"You're welcome, Snow." Harry replies before offering, "if you need any help you know where I am."  
  
It means more than she can admit that he's here offering to help her, because this is what she needs. _"You think you can help me figure it out?"_  
  
For the first time Harry drops his eyes away from her and looks down at their still joined hands resting on his thigh. Her hand looks so small in his, delicate even. "I'll help you as much as I'm able to."  
  
All the air feels like it's being ripped painfully from her lungs. His words are an agonising reminder of what he's going through himself. "I wish you'd let me work on this. To try--"  
  
He looks up at her then and shakes his head. "No. I did this and... no."  
  
Knowing for now that to be a dead end especially by his solid refusal, she changes tactics. "How are you?" She questions softly, almost afraid of the answer.  
  
Harry shrugs, allowing his blank facade to drop to show how he's really feeling. "For now, I'm okay. But sometimes it's almost like... a wall in the way is making me forget. I know everything is there somewhere in my head but it's like I can't get to it."  
  
She pushes down her emotions at his explanation, feeling helpless at the sound of his voice as he describes what's happening to him.  
  
"Have you spoken to Jesse?"  
  
Harry shakes his head, his shoulders slumping. "I don't know what to say. How can I tell her I'm losing my mind? That she'll lose her father because he was stupid and obsessed with the need to succeed."  
  
Caitlin's free hand settles on his forearm, her face defiant. "You're not stupid. You made a mistake. You wanted to help the team, to keep us safe and to defeat DeVoe, to stop him hurting people." Her fingers curl into the fabric of his sweater at his arm. She feels almost desperate as she looks at him. A deeper need to help him however she can. She can't let this happen. She can't allow him to lose himself, she can't lose him as well. "Please. Please let me help you? Let me find a way to fix this."  
  
It's almost begging and she's not embarassed by it, there's nothing demeaning or undignified in wanting to help someone you care about.  
  
And she cares about him a great deal, far more than she has ever admitted to herself until this moment. Seeing him like this so unsure and vulnerable is her undoing. She cannot deny it any longer.   
  
Harry's gaze bores into hers unwavering. The hidden depths of his eyes betray his uncertainty and his fear. "I don't..."  
  
It hurts to see him like this, usually so solid and strong willed, arrogant and competent. "Don't what?"  
  
"I don't know what to do."  
  
The helplessness lacing that one sentence breaks her heart even further when she thought it wasn't possible and she acts on instinct. She releases his hand and his sweater to lift her hands to his jaw. She holds his gaze as tenderly as she holds his face. "We can fix this, okay. Just let me help, please.  _Please_."  
  
His injured hand moves to cover one of hers. "Caitlin..."

The atmosphere changes between them, charged with an intimacy that's almost breathtaking in it's intensity. 

The sound of her given name, so rarely spoken from his lips, is what breaks her restraint. Everything that has happened hits home, to her with Frost and to him with his mind, to everything they face and to how much this man really means to her. She cannot stand by after everything and lose him. She can't. So she steps further into him, between his legs and leans in. Her mouth is so close when his voice stops her before any real contact is made.  
  
"No. Don't."  
  
She freezes, feeling the hurt rise at the rejection of her advances before pulling back enough to meet his beautiful azure eyes to find none. He's not rejecting her because he doesn't want her. She closes her eyes at the self loathing and defeat she finds there instead. Now she knows what those words mean and she chooses to ignore them. Her eyes flutter open and she shakes her head. She closes the gap between them again.  
  
"Caitlin."  
  
It's almost a desperate plea which again she ignores.  
  
Her lips touch his softly, a light brush. She allows her right hand to drop from his face to his chest, pressing her palm over his heart. "Let me in," she whispers against his lips.  
  
So he does, helpless to refuse any longer knowing she has made her choice clear.

She's chosen him regardless of it all. 

This moment has been a long time coming they both know. Something between them changed and despite not discussing it, the feelings continued to grow, deeper and stronger. Hidden from view, only offering a sneak peak now and then. Until now. 

With a groan he kisses her back. The initial awkwardness of kissing someone for the first time passes and they fall into it with an ease and Caitlin discovers that Harry is a very good kisser. Which shouldn't be a surprise, the man excels at everything he does. He's also gentler than she expected but there's also an underlining feeling of desperation that's trying to break through. She can feel it and she embraces it by opening her mouth to him, allowing the kiss to deepen. She moves into him, trying to bridge the gap further needing to be closer.

How long they stay like that is anyone's guess.   
  
Eventually breathless and reluctant to break the contact, she pulls away to rest her forehead against his. His hands at his waist tighten. They stay like that, holding each other, taking comfort in the new found closeness between them and what this means. They've taken the step they have both longed to take. Finally.  
  
Daunting tasks lie ahead. A solution for Killer Frost needs to be found, Harry's mind needs to be healed and DeVoe needs to be defeated. It feels like they're up against it with little time on their side but there's one thing Caitlin knows.  
  
Tilting her head, she kisses him again soundly before pulling back to hold his gaze. She rakes her fingers through his hair in comfort. Wanting him to know she's here by his side and she's not going anywhere.  
  
"I promise. Together, we'll figure all of this out."  
  
The end.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading, as always it's appreciated as is your feedback. Another fic for Snowells week will be along later today. 
> 
> Until then...


End file.
